My keyboard is possessed!

[Geobabe]

A few weeks ago, my computer developed a new and baffling problem. When I hit the right arrow key (not the one on the number pad, the other one), I get this: `165432 (it also activates Caps Lock and Scroll Lock) and when I hit the 3 key on the number pad, this happens: 45 and ,./ 6321 appeared in the browser address bar. The number pad 0 brings up the Help window. It's only the arrow and number pad keys, never the letters.

These symptoms come and go seemingly at random, and change from time to time; those same keys were affected but did different things the first time it happened. Sometimes the problem goes away altogether, and all is well in happy keyboard-land. Each time the problem comes back, it is the same three keys (right arrow, number 3 and number 0) that act all funky.

I'm running Win98 with a standard Windows keyboard. Any ideas what might be causing this and how to fix it? I've tried doing some searching on the web but haven't found any sites yet that have offered info on this particular symptom.

[Horseflesh]

The keystroke decoder/encoder (little printed circuit board inside) is fritzing out. Either that or the keyboard cord has some serious leprechauns. Go out and buy yourself a nice replacement; it's really not worth it to try and fix unless you've got some kind of high-dollar keyboard.

[Geobabe]

Oho. I thought it was a Windows problem, but that makes sense. The KB is almost 4 years old, so I got a good long run out of it. Thanks.